Please have the weekend off and put your feet up Douglas!

Look forward to the tutorial in due course.

Peter

Peter,

GearShift works in two modes: 1) HD and 2) DV proxy. It allows you to work on a proxy of the video and then swap the proxy out for the HD version to do a render and then swap the proxy back in to work some more. This way you can edit on a slower PC than HD requires. You can also convert your M2T files to the Sony YUV codec for going out to HDCAM or use the original M2T files if going back to your HDV camcorder or deck.

Here is the basic workflow:

1. Capture your HD M2T files via Vegas capture utility
2. Run GearShift on the M2T files to create a DV proxy and (optional) YUV conversion
3. Apply the 601/709 colorspace preset in the Color Matrix Filter. (If you don't have this, download it HERE).
4. Edit using the DV Proxy files
5. When you’re ready to render, press the ShiftGears button to swap out the DV proxy for the YUV files (or M2T files if you didn’t create YUV files)
6. Render your project
7. If you need to continue editing, press ShiftGears again to swap the DV proxy back in

GearShift will allow you to create either a NTSC or PAL DV proxy. You can convert your M2T files to YUV using any of the available templates that are provided. All of the rendering is done within Vegas’ rendering engine.

I know this isn’t as good as one of Spot’s tutorials but it should get you started.

~jr

Great, thanks Johnny.

- I was wondering what that gearshift button was for!

peter

does gearshift create a dv intermediate or a cineform intermediate. I thought the filter application is for cineform?

I was a beta tester for GearShift and one of the early things I commented on is that GearShift is a more true and accurate intermeadiary than Cineform. It does not use the Cineform code. It really is a must for the HDV crowd.

Gearshift creates a 4:2:2 YUV file, AND a DV proxy file. It doesn't need/use the Cineform. The 4:2:2 file, which isn't an intermediate, is MUCH bigger than the Cineform, and doesn't offer the benefit of faster editing like the Cineform does. However, it's what is required for using a Decklink, and/or going out to HDCam. It is also a substantially more accurate format than the Cineform is. Cineform is faster/better for editing.
Gearshift's answer to the larger 4:2:2 file that slower computers can't play, is to create a DV proxy. You'll use the proxy for your editing, and then when you're done editing, you'll output one of two formats: 4:2:2 YUV, or if you're printing back to camera, you'll output to m2t, using the original m2t format and files for the render. This assures you fast editing speeds, accurate color information, and no intermediary ever used. This is not a replacement for the Cineform tool, just a potentially faster and somewhat easier alternative, depending on where you're going with it. Given the conversion to 24p, 30p, 25p, or use of the original 50i or 60i files, you also get several other benefits.

I thought with Gearshift and V6 it was not necessary to apply the 601/709 conversion. Am I wrong?

For the timebeing, you need to apply the 601/709 filter to the DV Proxy, because DV uses the 601 colorspace. We're debating whether to apply this to the proxy or not, any feedback is welcome. It would be a problem if the user wanted to render to any SD format using the proxy.

Douglas,

I have developed another tutorial for Gearshift, and published it here (unfortunately in German):

http://videotreffpunkt.com/thread.php?threadid=1141&boardid=36&styleid=6

Two aditional comments to that discussion:

- to apply the 601/709 filter makes limited sence to me - since we substitute the DV-Proxy with m2t file at the workflow end anyway. The only advantage could be, to have more precise color correction possibliities (if we apply a color correction, as it is done in professional productions anyway. But if you are a prosumer, maybe it is not necessary for you - your decision).

- I would strongly recommend to incorporate rendering skills to the cineform HD codec too. The Sony YUV codec generates a file size, that is so huge, that the preview skills are more limited compared with nativ m2t material - the fps are halved to something about 7 or 8 fps in the preview of a simple event, even using a raid-5 SATA system. So, why not give the customer the choice?

Kind regards,
Wolfgang
www.videotreffpunkt.com
www.vegasvideo.de

> - I would strongly recommend to incorporate rendering skills to the cineform HD codec too.

Here is a little secret about GearShift. It will find ANY template that begins with the letters "HD ". (H, D, [space]) So if you own the CineForm codec (which does not ship with Vegas) you can create a template to use the CineForm codec and name it something like “HD 1080-60i CineForm” and you’re all set. Gearshift will use it.

~jr

Johnny,

thank you for the hint. One point seems to be different - Vegas 6 installes the "CineForm HD VFW Codec" in your system, at least I can see it in my system.

So, from that point additional templates should be possible with Vegas-6.
;)

So, I have tested that - seems to work fine. Thank you really for that hint. I have incorporated that in my tutorial!


Kr
Wolfgang

> One point seems to be incorrect - Vegas 6 installs the "CineForm HD VFW Codec" in your system, at least I can see it in my system.

Oops. I just realized it’s used in the HDV templates (sorry). On my other PC it complained about needing a license but that must be because I downloaded the trial for Vegas 5. My bad.

~jr

Jonny, I see one additional limitation: Gearshift is not able to replace CineForm events with the original m2t events at the end of the workflow.

To my opinion, it would be an advantage if that would be possible - since you avoid here an additional render generation.

Any chance that this will be possible in Gearshift too, maybe with an update?

Ahhh..., so you want to use CineForm as a Proxy format. That is certainly something to consider for a future update. In the mean time, you can "trick" GearShift if you prepend the string "DVProxy – " (trailing space is important) to the beginning of your CineForm rendered files. It will then swap them with the M2T files when you press ShiftGears if they are both in the same directory.

So you want to see CineForm as an option under the Proxy dropdown. Is that correct?

~jr

Yes, I think it could make some sense to use CineForm as a Proxy format too - and to see it under the proxy dropdown.

Another idea. Maybe you should not be limited to CineForm at all. It has one advantage over DV- you stay within the original pixel size, while DV-proxy files generate small black boarders.

However, another major disadvantage of CineForm is that it seems to be limited to 1440x1080 files. The files are huge, compared with DV-avi. Even on my raid-5 system the realtime-performance is limited to 15 fps.

What, if you would use other codecs, for example mjpeg-avi codecs, as an proxy? Scale it down to a smaller size - to generate proxys that are smaller in file size, but more flexible in getting the pixels right.

Just an idea...

I have just tested the idea:

I used the Pegasus PIC mjpeg-avi codec - it is an old but a good codec. Size 720x540, so it is 1080i/2.

Works as a good proxy, since the size of the file ist 1/5 of the m2t file.

The pixel ratio must be set to 1.333 - but then it is shown correctly in a 1080i project (no black boarders on the left and right side).

And given your hint with using the string "DVProxy-" in the name, Gearshift can be used to replace this file too.

There is a new version of GearShift 1.1.0 on the VASST web site.

This new version that adds:

1. CineForm templates for Proxy creation
2. Installs the 601/709 colorspace preset for you
3. Allows you to automatically apply the colorspace preset to the proxy media either PRE render or POST render. (Pre render burns it into the rendered media while Post render applies it in the media pool)

Just download the trial again and you’ll get the new version. I changed the prefix on the proxy files from DVProxy to GSProxy because they are no longer only DV files. (now they are GearShift Proxies)

If you want to add new Proxy templates (like ones that use Pegasus PIC MJPEG codec), just make an AVI template and name it with the prefix “HDV “ and GearShift will pick it up in the Proxy dropdown box.

Wolfgang S, thanks for the idea.

~jr

Sounds great Jonny, thank you a lot!

Kr
Wolfgang

Jonny,

seems to work great now also for the mjpeg-avi codec.

It took me some time to figer out, that you can now include other templates in the proxy menu too - by wording them with "HDV ....". Great.

Thanks a lot, tht is perfect.

Johnny, did you include the match output/project aspect for the DV proxy?

Not yet, that’s coming in a few days (maybe tonight if I can get to it). I’ll post back here when its available.

~jr

Is it possible to do that at all? I mean, DV has fixed ratios... what do you want to change here?

As far as I understand it, that is one reason why DV widescreen has some limitations.